With its broad repertoire of choral and popular music, the Austin Girls‘ Choir has graced many an event and occasion. Choir members have sung at weddings and other celebrations; the symphony, opera and ballet; and in churches and cathedrals.
Please contact Artistic Director Sara Burden-McClure at 834-3694 to book performances of the Austin Girls‘ Choir. Depending upon event requirements and girls‘ availability, the size of the performing group will vary.
Weddings: The girls love to sing for weddings! Please refer to the Repertoire section for possible selections. The Choir must be engaged at least a month prior to the wedding, and music choices must be made at least 3 weeks prior to the wedding. We require a tuned piano (or organ of reasonable quality) in close proximity to the area in which the Choir is to sing, a warm-up/staging area for the Choir, a brief opportunity to sing in the worship area in the hour prior to the service, lighting adequate to read music, seating for the Choir if the wedding service will exceed 20 minutes’ duration, and protection from strong drafts, full sun or inclement weather. A representative of the Choir will be present for at least part of the wedding rehearsal. If a photograph of the girls with the bride and groom is desired, we prefer to schedule this immediately following the service.
Rates are negotiable; we generally charge $700. In some cases, an additional charge for an accompanist or for special-request songs is necessary. A 50-percent nonrefundable deposit will secure the Choir’s participation; the balance of payment is due at the wedding rehearsal.
Funerals: We generally sing for indoor memorial services, but have sung at a few interments. If outdoors, we sing unaccompanied. Our fee for funerals is $350 if within 20 miles of the State Capitol building. The same requirements as above apply.
Concerts, Private Parties and Events: We sing for all kinds of occasions: private parties, receptions, awards ceremonies, conferences, conventions, festivals, parades, jointly with other groups, or full-length concerts of our own. We prefer a minimum of 6 weeks advance notice, and may need more time to learn special requests. The earlier you reserve, the more we can tailor our performance to your event! Rates are negotiable; we generally charge $400 for half an hour, $700 for an hour. Availability depends on time of year — for example, we tour outside Austin in mid-June, and tend not to perform during July or Dec. 23-31 — and performance schedule load.
Caroling: AGC schedules one Saturday in December (usually the second Saturday) as its “Austin Mini-Tour Day” and sends caroling teams to business sponsors to sing for their clients. Some stores schedule promotions around the AGC appearance, while other businesses may time the caroling to coincide with an employee party or special customers’ sale. Demand has been so high in the past two years that we have blocked additional caroling time for the following weekend. We charge $150 per 25-minute caroling visit.